Close Encounter: Visitors at Gatlinburg Cabin Find a Bear in Car

A few visitors at a cabin in Gatlinburg had a close encounter with a baby bear on Saturday.

Author:
Drew LaFasto

Published:
12:56 AM EST January 15, 2018

Updated:
1:18 AM EST January 15, 2018

A few visitors at a cabin in Gatlinburg had an up-close and personal encounter with a baby bear on Saturday.

Tanya Young, one of the visitors at the cabin, said they had just gotten to their cabin off of Ski Mountain Road. Young said they hadn't yet locked the vehicle and there were six dog treats inside.

That's when a baby bear smelled the treats, opened the door and went inside the car. The car door shut behind the bear. Young said she and her friends noticed the bear was trapped inside the car once they heard the car horn blowing. They also saw another bear standing on its hind legs near the car.

Courtesy of Tanya Young

The video posted on Young's Facebook shows her and her friends inside another car adjacent to the car the bear was in. Someone attempted to open the other car's door to let the bear out-- All while trying to keep their distance from the other bear in the background.

"Go, go... Oh it didn't work," someone said in the video.

In the background of the video, another bear was lingering. Young thinks it may have been the mother waiting for her young cub.

"We just need to get them out of Brad's car."

After letting the cub out of the vehicle, Young said they called police. The officer who came to the scene said it was possible the bears had left their den nearby to search for more food.

No one was hurt in the incident (including the bears), but it was an uncomfortably close encounter.